Swansboro Jr Legion opens state tny play today

SWANSBORO — Every player and every coach on Swansboro Post 78 is obviously looking forward to its second straight trip to the N.C. Junior American Legion championships that begin today.

Rick Scoppe-Sports Editor/The Daily News

SWANSBORO — Every player and every coach on Swansboro Post 78 is obviously looking forward to its second straight trip to the N.C. Junior American Legion championships that begin today.

No one, however, is likely looking forward to the five-day, double-elimination tournament more than left fielder Casey Perry, who missed last year’s state tournament in Swansboro because of what he thinks was his 10th bout with pneumonia.

“It’s awesome actually because last year I had pneumonia and I couldn’t play,” Perry said during practice Wednesday. “So it ended up working out really well because now I’m healthy. It was terrible. I had to sit and watch everybody play.”

Not this year.

Perry and Post 78 (14-2), which is coming off its second straight Area II district championship, will square off against West Rowan today at 4:30 p.m. in the opening round at East Forsyth High School in Kernersville.

Swansboro will start right-hander Jake Barton (3-0) while West Rowan (17-14), which is a first-year program, will go with left-hander Bryan Ketchie (6-1).

The winner will play Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and the loser at 9:30 a.m.

“I’m ready. I think the boys are ready,” coach Scott Mastranunzio said. “I’m a little nervous for the boys, of course. I want them to do well, which they will. They’ve done well all year. So they should be able to just continue along.”

Having hosted the state tournament a year also should help, Mastranunzio added. Beyond smoothing out all the logistical things that go into such an event, Mastranunzio said the players also have a better idea of what to expect on the field, including the heightened level of play.

“You can’t play a normal game here … going to those levels. It’s two different things,” he said. “They’re a little more comfortable this year. They’re a little more relaxed. They know what to expect. Some of the newer ones are really wide-eyed and not quite sure what to expect, but that comes with time and some experience.”

Barton agreed.

“It’s nice just be able to go back,” he said. “I feel like we’ll be more comfortable this time because a lot of this group was there last year. So I feel like as a team we’ll feel like we’ve been there before and hopefully not go two-and-out like we did last year.”

Last year, Swansboro committed four errors in a four-run sixth inning in falling to Kernersville 4-2 in its opener and then fell 7-0 to South Chatham to finish the season 21-6. Kernersville, which beat West Rowan in the district finals, is again in the state championships along with Cary, which won the 2012 title.

Barton, a rising senior at Swansboro High School, said he “definitely” felt Swansboro was a bit nervous going into last year’s state tournament.

“I think just hosting a state tournament and being in there really got to us,” he said, “and then you get into the losers’ bracket and it’s dog eat dog.”

Having had that experience, however, “absolutely” helps this time around, he added.

As does, he added, having been on the mound in Post 78’s 6-1 win over Topsail on Thursday, a win Swansboro had to have to earn a trip to the state tournament.

“There definitely is pressure (starting the state tournament opener), but I really felt like that (Topsail game) was the most pressure-packed game of the year just because if we lose we’re not going to go,” he said.

“I think now knowing that even if we do lose (today), we can still fight through the losers’ bracket, I think I’ll be more calm really, more confident, especially with the Topsail game and having us win that game.”

Shortstop Jordan Behan, who likely will get the start in the second game Saturday, and Dillon Herbert, who combined with Behan to pitch a no-hitter in a 2-1 win over Morehead City A to win the district title Sunday, lead Post 78 at the plate, with both hitting over .500.

Herbert also had a team-high 14 RBIs along with three doubles, three triples and a home run.

Six players are hitting at least .300 for Swansboro.

But numbers aren’t what’s keyed Post 78 this year, according to the coach and players.

“I’ve coached a long time and I have yet to have a chemistry like I do on this team,” Mastranunzio said. “They all get along. They’re friends. I don’t ever hear any negative attitudes in the dugout. Even if somebody does strike out or make a bad play, I can look to the dugout from the third base box and two or three of them are like, ‘Hey, pick your head up. Let’s move on.’

“Normally at this age you don’t see that. These guys all work together.”

Perry agreed.

“Our camaraderie (is) probably the best I’ve ever seen on a team,” the rising junior at Swansboro High said. “We all just get along. We all hang out together. …. Everybody’s out here to have fun. No one is here to say, 'I’m better than you'…. You’re here to have fun and play baseball.”